Garden and Gordon’s

Introduction is an alternative to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the actual site of ' burial in . It was discovered in 1867 and is especially popular with Protestants as a place of devotion. History In the 19th century, a number of scholars

disputed the identification of the Church of the Entrance to the Garden Tomb, where some believe Jesus was buried Holy Sepulchre with the actual site of Jesus's crucifixion and burial. In 1842, Otto Thenius proposed that a rocky outcrop outside the walls was Calvary (Golgotha), the place of the skull. The Garden Tomb itself was discovered in 1867, and was soon identified as the burial place of Jesus, mainly because of its location in the area that had been identified as Calvary. Another factor in its favor was the recent discovery the tombstone of the deacon Nonnus in the nearby Church of St. Stephen, which mentioned the Holy Sepulchre.

The Anglican Church committed itself to the site Facade of the Garden Tomb as the place of Jesus' burial and "Gordon's Tomb" became the "Garden Tomb." The Church has since withdrawn its formal support, but the Garden Tomb continues to be identified by popular Protestant piety. Authenticity It is easy to see why the Garden Tomb is a popular site for Protestant piety — it is clearly located outside the walls, it is next to a place that looks like a skull, it conforms to what one imagines when reading the accounts, and it is far

easier to pray and contemplate here than in the "Gordon's Calvary" from the Old City walls

crowded Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

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But is the Garden Tomb really the ? The main reason some people think so is that early accounts of the burial (e.g. Hebrews 13:12) describe it as occurring outside the city walls. And today, the Garden Tomb is outside the walls while the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is within them. However, the city walls were expanded by Herod Agrippa in 41‐44 AD and only then enclosed the site of the Holy Sepulchre, so both sites were outside the walls at the time of Jesus. However, scholars are generally agreed that the Garden Tomb is not the actual site of Jesus' burial. According to Jerome Murphy‐O'Connor, "there is no possibility that it is in fact the place where

Christ was buried." Holy Land specialist Dr. Carl "Skull" in rock near the Garden Tomb Rasmussen comments, "it is my opinion that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher preserves a more accurate tradition." One problem with the Garden Tomb is that, based on its configuration, it dates from the late Old Testament era (9th‐7th century BC). Thus it was not a "new tomb" (Matt 27:60; :41) at the time of the crucifixion. In addition, the burial benches were cut down in the Byzantine period (4th‐6th century AD) to

create rock sarcophagi, radically disfiguring the Burial chamber in the Garden Tomb tomb. This clearly indicates that early Christians did not believe this was the burial place of . The site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, on the other hand, seems to have attracted Christian devotion since before Constantine. (See under "Authenticity" in that article for more information.) The wardens of the property (the UK‐based Garden Tomb Association) stress that it is the , not the issue of finding the exact spot of his burial, that is important. Burial bench with cut sarcophagus Regardless of its authenticity, the Garden Tomb is

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a fine place for contemplating the death burial of Christ and certainly more readily identifiable with the Gospel accounts than the dark and urban scene of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. What’s to See? At "Gordon's Calvary," the shape of a skull, at least large eye sockets, can be discerned in the cliffside. This rocky escarpment was used as a rock quarry, perhaps druing the time of Herod Agrippa I (37‐44 AD). The garden tomb itself is located about 100 yards west of the "skull." The tomb is marked by

multilingual signs and a wooden door bearing the Rolling Rock Door to Grave

English words, "He is not here ‐ for he is risen." The door and windows in the tomb facade probably date from Byzantine or Crusader times. The deep channel along the ground, sometimes identified as the groove for the rolling stone used to seal the tomb, is of unknown date and purpose. Inside the tomb there are two chambers side by side. From the vestibule, one turns right to enter the burial chamber. This configuration is typical of 9th‐7th century (Iron Age) in the area.

Tombs from the time of Jesus have the burial Another Rolling Rock Grave chamber behind the vestibule in a straight line, and each body bench (arcosolium) set within an arch. In the Garden Tomb, the body benches simply extend from the wall. As mentioned above, the body benches were carved down by Byzantine Christians to use as rock sarcophagi; this can still be seen. In the Middle Ages, the Crusaders lowered the rock surface in front of the tomb, built vaults against it, and used the site as stable.

Side View of Rolling Rock Grave

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The Garden Tomb is a quiet place intended for worship and reflection. There are good facilities, including benches, drinking water , toilets, and wheelchair access to the garden. There is also a well‐stocked gift shop.

Olive Press in the Garden – Gethsemane means olive press

Related Websites

The Garden Tomb (The Garden Tomb [Jerusalem] Association) The official website. Learn more about the grounds in the "Garden Tour" link.

Garden Tomb (Christian Travel Study Program) Presents the merit of the site as a better environment for

meditation and worship, but holds to the Holy Sepulcher as the more probable location for the events of the cross. The Garden Tomb (Daily Study) General information about the area with links to topics related to biblical characters, the process of the crucifixion, and the life of Christ. The Garden Tomb (Orange Street Congregational Church, London) An interview with the keeper of the tomb in 1965. The Garden Tomb (Good News Ministries) Focuses on the more spiritual aspects of the resurrection, using the Garden Tomb as a guide. Garden Tomb Cross and the Place of the Skull (Personal Page) One visitor's arguments for the Garden Tomb's authenticity. Garden Tomb (Virtual Travel, Israel Diary) Features an online video tour accompanied by text describing the meditations of another pilgrim at the peaceful garden tomb. The Garden Tomb (Adat B'nei HaMelech) "If not the exact tomb, it is an exact duplicate."

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